The Delta independent., 1887-05-03
Donald's Wife.

Iflcnds balu he had made mistake.
She was merry, laughing girl Of
eighteen, fresh from school. and he,
her fathers old friend quot. self
contained man Of thirty-live. and IL can
scarcely be wondered at that many
wise heads were shaken over tho ILL
sorted match.
Jessie had always stood u little In
awe OF the quiet, stern man who had
been frequent visitor Mt her fathers
bonso during his lifc time.
But she wns quito unprovidod for,
and Donald McKoon was wealthy; and
when ho asked hcr to be his wifo in n
mnttcrof-fact way, very much us ho
might have nsked her to bo his house,
solve tho troublesome problem of her
lifc; and. besides this. sho knew her
father to have boon under obligations
10 him, and more than suspected that
tho three years shc had spent Mt n
fashionable school since her fathers
death had been at his expense.
And SO they wcro married. and ho
took hor to his old home. that his
family had owned and occupied for
generations.
II never occurred TO him that II was
droary sort of lifc for girl like
Jessie. alono in that gloomy old house
nll day, with only tho servants and tho
ghosts Of by.gono generations for COM
pany.
And whom sho grew palo and listlcss,
md lost hor old elasticity of spirits, n
foar that had haunted him since his
wedding day took possession OF him
and poisoned his lifc--a fear that sho
had married him for homo and posi-
tion. and already regretted her choice.
Gladly would he have given her back
hor liberty had that been possible. But
being n sensitive, undcmonstrative
man, ho lot her 500 nothing OF this, but
rather shrank from her because of tho
wrong hc had done her, and oamo and
went and made no sign,
Aud then people began to discover
that Mrs McKcon was very charm
Ing woman, and her husband wealthy
aud influential man, and invitations
began to pour in upon hor,
Aud Jessie plunged into this now lifc
of fashionable dissipation with zeal
that was tho natural reaction from the
gloom and the loneliness of tho past
year.
At first her husband accompanied her
IA hnt Sh, fnp b, h,1
what old fashioned notions MS to what
was right and fitting for women to do.
But it was life he utterly dotcsted.
II intcrferod with his business. and ho
looked below the surface and saw tho
hollow falshood it was, after all. and 1t
grated ON his fine ideas of truth and
sincerity.
Perhaps ho was somewhat dictatorial
In his manner of telling her this; per-
haps she imagined so. But when ho
urged tho point, shc rcbellcd against
his assumption Of authority.
II was their first quarrel and their
last, but 1t was very bitter one.
She spoke cruel stinging words, that
ranked and stung him tho moro that
he had learned TO love her so dearly.
as only reserved, sclf-constraincd men
such rs hc can love, and then only
when they hoard all the treasures of
their nature to lavish 1t in middle life
on the woman who is their fate.
After that he opposed her in nothing,
but il was as though great wall OF ice
had risen between them.
Hc devoted himself to business and
she became tho acknowledged leader of
tho most exclusive circle OF the city.
She was mady eNtravagant She
made the old house a marvel of aesthetic
beauty. and entertained like princess,
Mrs, McKcon's toilets. jewels and
dinners became the models of her set
Men worshipped her beauty: bat for
all their batteries she had the same
smile of cold contempt, and no man
was bold enough to venture heyond
the most commonplace,
And SO the years passed and each
one driiied them further Spavi. until
they seldom met, cxcep; ss iher own
grand entertainments, Each year she
became more the slave of fask,ea. and
he of his office But through il all he
loved her with an undying love. and
his one thought was to crafty her
every whim.
Aud when the dark days came
whom ships tina, were sent ou, freigh,cd
with costly wares went down. and
were heard of no morc-whcn
houses that seemed stable as granite
failed, and his wealth seemed melting
away like n snowy wreath, his only
thought was for hor, and though each
day his hair grew whiter and his form
grew more stopped with bending over
the long columns of figures in which
the balance was always on the wrong
side, he whispered. "For her sake"
aud struggled ON and denied her moth
ing.
And even on the day when he
came home. knowing that all his Of
forts had awaited him nothing. and that
he was poor man, his only thought
was for her tha, he would never more
h, nhlo IN ,,ivr kor Tho Thin y-S shc lad